J Street Daily News Roundup 10/24/13

October 24th, 2013

J Street works to promote an open, honest and rigorous conversation about Israel. The opinions reflected in articles posted in the News Roundup do not necessarily reflect J Street's positions, and their posting does not constitute an endorsement from J Street.

“Two major left-wing groups issued a stinging denouncement of the Anti-Defamation League’s list of ‘Top 10 Anti-Israel Groups in America’ Wednesday, arguing that the lineup ‘exacerbates unnecessary confrontation’ in an increasingly polarized Jewish community and that the choice of organizations cited was ‘shortsighted and unproductive.’”

Rachel Cohen wrote that President “Obama’s strategy—cautiously considering winding-down sanctions against Iran in exchange for diplomatic cooperation—enjoys fairly robust popular support right now. In terms of those who back the renewed negotiations, ‘it’s a lot wider of a coalition than many people understand,’ said Dylan Williams, the Director of Government Affairs for J Street. Anti-war coalitions, the US business community, and the US security establishment have all voiced support for negotiations. And according to the latest CNN/ORC poll, 78 percent of Americans are in favor of direct diplomatic negotiations between the US and Iran—anything, it seems, to avoid another military engagement in the Middle East.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu met for over seven hours on Wednesday with Secretary of State Kerry at the home of the American ambassador in Rome. The meeting dealt primarily with the Iranian nuclear program and the ongoing peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority. For half of the long meeting, Netanyahu and Kerry spoke alone. Kerry reportedly briefed Netanyahu on his meeting with Arab League foreign ministers in Paris on Monday and Netanyahu told Kerry that he is interested in advancing the peace process with the Palestinians, but in light of the instability in many Arab nations, any agreement will require very stringent security arrangements.

In an interview with Ben Birnbaum, Amos Yadlin says that “next year, unlike previous years, is really the year of decision [on Iran]. Decision is not necessarily an attack—it can be an attack, it can be leaving the problem to Obama to solve, a decision to live with problematic deal, or a decision to live with the bomb, with all its ramifications.”

Arab League spokesman Nasif Hata said Wednesday that the 22-member body isn’t optimistic about renewed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Meanwhile, an Israeli source in Rome with the prime minister reportedly said Netanyahu was prepared to meet with President Abbas “anytime, anywhere.”

Abbas called on European and other Western firms on Wednesday to stop violating international law by working in West Bank settlements. “We want to live alongside Israel and build bridges of peace with it,” Abbas said. “This call is directed against settlements that were established on the territories of the occupied State of Palestine and its capital, Jerusalem, after 1967.”

Iran has stopped enriching uranium to 20 percent, a main demand of world powers in talks over Tehran's disputed nuclear program, a senior Iranian parliamentarian was quoted as saying. Diplomats from member states accredited to the IAEA said they were not aware of any cessation of higher-level enrichment.

On Wednesday the Obama administration held its first classified briefing with Congress on its high-stakes nuclear talks with Iran. Despite deep skepticism of White House engagement with Iran -- and despite a fresh lobbying effort by AIPAC -- exiting lawmakers appeared mollified by the State Department's chief nuclear negotiator Wendy Sherman , who led this month's talks with Iran in Geneva.

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